The Coast Water Works Development Agency( CWWDA) board chairman Daniel Mwaringa is battling reports of how he bagged a whooping Ksh 15 million in bribe to compromise the process of appointing the substantive Chief Executive Officer( CEO) for the agency.
Mwaringa is accused of twisting the process in favor of a certain Somali guy who has brainwashed him with dirty money collected from the public.
At least 61 people applied for the position.
Also linked to the so called Somali guy is CS Aisha Jumwa, senate speaker Amason Kingi who sources indicate are working on behalf of defense CS Aden Duale.
This emerged after a Human Rights Groups wrote to the Ministry of Water to restart the process of appointing a substantive CEO at CWWDA.
The Commission for Human Rights and Justice on 19th July, 2023 wrote directly to the water cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome to initiate a new process, terming the ongoing exercise as flawed and against the law.
The commission believes that the new board members are in office illegally because they were not officially handed office after the revocation of former board members on 1st February, 2023.
The agency in February advertised on its website vacancy for the position with new board chairman Daniel Mwaringa chairing the process.The position is currently being held by Technical Manager Martin Tsuma in acting capacity after former CEO Jacob Torrut was sent on terminal leave back in March 2021.
In the letter to the water CS, the commission is putting the board chairman Mwaringa on the spot for allegedly overseeing a flawed process.
“The process of selection leading to the appointment of the new CEO was flawed, opaque and in contravention of constitutional tenets of fairness, transparency, on-discrimination and public participation,” it reads in part.
It also argues that the disclosure of the ADHOC COMMITTEE board paper for shortlisting of candidates for the same position is clear indicator that the process is compromised.
“The leakage of milestone of CWWDA CEO as per former board members indicates that the process will not be free and fair,” The commission if indicting the board for working on a predetermined process in favor of a candidate proposed by defense CS Aden Duale.
“The interviews for the said position were conducted at a North Coast hotel where there were allegations of canvasing by different interested parties especially from Somali Origin allied to defense CS Aden Duale,” it further reads.
The board chairman a per our investigations has been under siege from some sections within the Coast region who wanted someone from the region to occupy the position.
Sources indicate that most MPs from the region have already struck a deal with Mwaringa over the position and they are willing to relinquish it to the Duale allied appointee.
President William Ruto is in Coast to oversee ongoing government projects.